Using digital marketing to reduce market frictions and spur MSEs growth: A RCT in Egypt

Last registered on December 20, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Using digital marketing to reduce market frictions and spur MSEs growth: A RCT in Egypt
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0005283
Initial registration date
January 09, 2020

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 10, 2020, 11:33 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
December 20, 2021, 2:02 PM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Egypt
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Adam Osman
Affiliation
University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
David McKenzie
PI Affiliation
World Bank
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PI Name
Aminur Rahman
PI Affiliation
World Bank
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2020-01-22
End date
2022-12-31
Keywords
Firms & Productivity
Additional Keywords
technology adoption
JEL code(s)
O12, O14, M31, L26
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The main problem we are trying to address is why more firms do not expand their markets by using the new technology of digital advertising. Digital technology enables firms to overcome information and other frictions that prevent firms and customers connecting across space. However, firms may not adopt this new technology because they lack the knowledge of how to do so, or are uncertain of the returns and consider it risky. We aim to identify which firms can benefit from engaging with and advertising on digital advertising platforms, to explore the reasons why they may not already be doing so, and to test whether input-based versus results-based approaches are most cost-effective for policy.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
McKenzie, David, Adam Osman and Aminur Rahman. 2021. "Using digital marketing to reduce market frictions and spur MSEs growth: A RCT in Egypt." AEA RCT Registry. December 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5283-2.1
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Firms will be offered a mixture of information, training and assistance, and take-up incentives to encourage their take-up and usage of the new technology of digital marketing.
Intervention Start Date
2020-02-01
Intervention End Date
2022-05-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
We are interested in primary outcomes in two key domains:
Domain 1: Take-up and Usage of Digital Marketing Technology.
This will be measured by:
1. Percentage of firms with a Facebook page for the firm
2. Percentage of firms that have done paid advertising on Facebook in the last three months.

Domain 2: Firm performance
This will be measured by:
1. Sales made to new customers who have heard of firm through digital marketing efforts
2. Sales
3. Profits
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
These primary outcomes will be refined prior to collection of our first follow-up data, and will be explained in the pre-analysis plan

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
To be defined in pre-analysis plan
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Firms will be in one of four arms:

(1) Digital Marketing Training + Advertising Subsidy + Business Support
(2) Pay for Performance (Digital Marketing Presence and Advertising)
(3) Information Only
(4) Control
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
2550 firms
Sample size: planned number of observations
2550 small firms
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
850 in training & subsidy, 850 in pay for performance, 300 in information, 550 in pure control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
UIUC
IRB Approval Date
2020-01-08
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials